October Term 2009 · Docket 08-1498
Can the government criminalize speech to designated terrorist groups?
Humanitarian groups argue the law bans protected speech. The government claims it prevents material support.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Cole framed the case as an as-applied challenge.
He asked if the government can criminalize their speech.
Kagan responded that the law targets material support.
Roberts questioned the scope of the government's power.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 35-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 35-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-19 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 21-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 7-19 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 7-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 21-23 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 21-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 41-43 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 41-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 15-23 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 15-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 29-31 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 29-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 37-43 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 37-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 3-43 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 3-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 45-47 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 45-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 15-19 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 15-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 47-3 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 47-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 49-7 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 49-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 63, lines 11-17 — Transcript, file page 63, lines 11-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 63, lines 27-31 — Transcript, file page 63, lines 27-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 21-27 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 21-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 3-3 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 3-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-43 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 41-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 33-37 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 33-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-5 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 5-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 9-29 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 9-29
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
The case tests the First Amendment limits on anti-terrorism statutes.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 35-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 35-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-19 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 21-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 3-43 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 3-43
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 23, 2010.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 7-19 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 7-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 45-47 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 45-47
What each side wants
Humanitarian groups want the law struck down as applied to them.
The government wants the law upheld to ban all support.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 35-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 35-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-19 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 21-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 3-43 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 3-43
What each side says
Cole argues the law criminalizes protected political speech.
Kagan argues the law prevents material support to terrorists.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 35-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 35-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-19 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 21-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 3-43 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 3-43
What the justices asked
Stevens asked if all speech at issue is protected.
Roberts asked about speech regarding a group's mere existence.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 21-23 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 21-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 41-43 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 41-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 15-23 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 15-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 29-31 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 29-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 37-43 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 37-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 45-47 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 45-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 15-19 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 15-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 47-3 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 47-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 49-7 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 49-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 63, lines 11-17 — Transcript, file page 63, lines 11-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 63, lines 27-31 — Transcript, file page 63, lines 27-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 21-27 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 21-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 3-3 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 3-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-43 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 41-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 33-37 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 33-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-5 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 5-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 9-29 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 9-29
Why it matters
The outcome defines the boundary between free speech and national security.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 35-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 35-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-19 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 21-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 3-43 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 3-43
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 7-19 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 7-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 21-23 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 21-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 41-43 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 41-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 15-23 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 15-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 29-31 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 29-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 37-43 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 37-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 45-47 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 45-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 15-19 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 15-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 61, lines 47-3 — Transcript, file page 61, lines 47-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 49-7 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 49-7
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 63, lines 11-17 — Transcript, file page 63, lines 11-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 63, lines 27-31 — Transcript, file page 63, lines 27-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 21-27 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 21-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 3-3 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 3-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 41-43 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 41-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 33-37 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 33-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-5 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 5-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 9-29 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 9-29
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 35-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 35-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-19 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 21-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 3-43 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 3-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 35-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 35-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-19 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 21-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 3-43 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 3-43
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.